Dec 21, 2013

Has Washington Finally Woken Up To The Real Meaning Of Social Security?

Josh Rosenbaum at AARP asks "Has Washington Finally Woken Up to the Real Meaning of Social Security?" I'd say that the answer is "no." Democrats didn't just awaken to the importance of Social Security. It's always been crucial to them. Republicans have also taken Social Security very seriously all along. They've wanted to find a way to kill it but have almost always realized that it's an impossible dream. George W. Bush and a few other Republicans have occasionally had delusions of grandeur and tried to find a way to privatize or otherwise cut Social Security but they are always punished for their foolishness. There are plenty of pundits and think tank denizens in D.C. who think that it's mandatory that Social Security be cut. Serious People in Washington take them seriously but no one else does. The Serious People in Washington sometimes forget that we live in a more or less democratic country and that cutting Social Security is wildly unpopular everywhere other than D.C. It's hard for them to believe but the Serious People in Washington don't really matter, even in Washington.

1 comment:

Anonymous
said...

Good to hear this is happening. I can't help but to believe that the enemies of Social Security will use the upcoming raise of the debt ceiling to once again try to get cuts. They can sense the progressive groundswell in the country and may feel their window of opportunity is shrinking. Could be that we will see a battle royale in a few months.